Washington already has the highest minimum wage in the nation, at $9.32 per hour. Oregon is right behind though, with the minimum wage sitting at $9.10 currently. Now Seattle will gradually phase in a $15 minimum wage, with guidelines tied to the size of companies and whether employees are eligible for tips or benefits.

Local politicians can essentially lobby for the wage increase and do little more.

Nicholas Caleb, a Portland City Council candidate running against incumbent Dan Saltzman, jumped into the election race in early March and immediately started talking about the living wage issue.

According to the Portland Mercury, Caleb wasn't initially aware of Portland's role in setting the minimum wage. "We can be creative," Caleb told the Mercury earlier this year, adding that companies could be taxed if they employ low-wage workers. The city could pool those funds then pay laborers through a subsidy.